The Ninth Annual Production of the Holiday Favorite Returns to Tannersville Nutcracker The

Ring in the Holiday Season in Tannersville with the world’s favorite ballet! On Saturday and Sunday, December 7-8 and December 14-15, the Catskill Mountain Foundation presents the ninth annual production of their Nutcracker. CMF’s Orpheum Dance Program Director and former Metropolitan Opera ballerina Victoria Rinaldi will partner with Joffrey Ballet School New York’s Pre-Professional program, Ballet Hispanico, and actors from the Aquila Theatre to present this show, which has become a yearly favorite of residents of the Catskills and the Hudson Valley.

Part of what makes this production of The Nutcracker so special is the community involvement, and this year record numbers of local children turned out to audition for roles as party children, mice, soldiers, angels, and in the Marzipan and Mother Ginger scenes. “I am thrilled to be able to present this show to the community,” said Victoria. “We have a record number of children— both girls and boys—from the community this year, including a lot of first time participants.”

This production of The Nutcracker is indeed a labor of love. For months leading up to the shows, Victoria works tirelessly to make it as exceptional as it can be, doing everything from rehearsing with both professional dancers and local children, to updating the choreography each year, to freshening the costumes. “It’s a beautiful exposure to a holiday tradition, and a great start to the holiday season,” says Victoria. “This year we’re thrilled to collaborate again with the wonderful dancers at Joffrey Ballet School New York, and for the second weekend we’ll be welcoming Ballet Hispanico as first time collaborators.” Partnering with two dance companies means that each weekend will have its own flair and style, different but still of the highest quality.

About The Nutcracker

With a libretto based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It tells the story of a young girl, Clara, who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and his fierce battle against a Mouse King. Clara and the Prince travel to the Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy, where she is treated to a celebration of sweets from around the world. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a pas de deux that for many is the highlight of the ballet.

The Nutcracker Ballet was first presented in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892. Choreographer Marius Petipa commissioned Tchaikovsky, the famous Russian composer, to compose the ballet. George Balanchine popularized the ballet with his 1954 production, casting real children for the first time.

This Year’s Production

This production of The Nutcracker came about originally as a thank you to the Catskill Mountain Foundation for allowing Victoria to coach in their beautiful space, The Red Barn. The Foundation wanted to give local children the gift of performing in a ballet. It has developed and grown over the years and has touched both the participants and the audience, and has created a community that loves and embraces dance as something valuable to be shared.

“Every year there are differences in our production,” says Victoria. “Scenes are embellished, improvements are made. Choreography becomes more advanced as the older students in the Community Class gain more experience. And since we have such large community participation this year, we will once again have multiple casts.”

Those multiple casts will include different professional and pre-professional dancers each weekend: dancers from Joffrey Ballet School New York will perform the first weekend, and dancers from Ballet Hispanico will perform the second weekend. “I love working with outside programs,” said Victoria. “Joffrey could not perform the second weekend, as they have their own performance of The Nutcracker in the city. I’m thrilled to welcome Ballet Hispanico for the second weekend of performances.”

This year’s production features some familiar faces from the community returning, some in more challenging roles. Elvis D’Ambrosia and Kensi Dempsey will again share the role of Clara, and Nathan Smith will take on the role of the Soldier Doll, with updated and advanced choreography. Lada Svechnikova, who has appeared as Clara in previous productions, will play the Mouse Queen and will also dance the Arabian solo. Lillian and Aria Shoffler will be making their debuts in Ukrainian and will also be taking on the role of Doll—previously a solo, but now a duet with the two dancers mirroring each other.

Actors from the acclaimed Aquila Theatre Company, who appeared in this summer’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will also join the cast. Charles Klepner, who played Puck in this year’s production, will appear as the Nutcracker Prince the first weekend, and Alex Scoloveno, who played Francis Flute, will appear as Drosselmeyer.

Community Dance Class

Many of the children in this production are year-round students in Victoria’s Community Dance Class. Formed in September of 2017 in response to the growing demand for dance classes on the mountaintop, participation in the class has expanded every year and more sessions are added each y ear. Everyone is welcome, no matter their ability. To date, over 100 children from the Mountaintop have received low-cost ballet lessons.

The Nutcracker is the Orpheum Dance Program’s premiere performance. In 2019 another yearly performance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was added to the roster. This unique production makes the Shakespeare comedy accessible by mixing spoken word with dance and is another perfect opportunity to have children dance alongside professionals.

In addition to the ballet classes, the Program offers a yearly spring recital, participation in all the Program’s productions, including The Nutcracker, plus occasional master classes and open rehearsals with visiting residencies.

Dance training is excellent for almost everyone. A child with dance training will carry themselves differently. They’ll cultivate discipline that will help them in almost every other instance in life. They learn to work well with others, and to take direction and criticism with grace. “For a lot of these kids, this will become a prominent childhood memory for them,” said Victoria. “These kids have a genuine quality of wonder and childlike exuberance and wonder that is lacking in other productions. And when you see them transform and become dancers on that stage, it’s really remarkable.”

Ballet is an art form that has been handed down from teacher to student, from coach to mentor to performer for centuries. Over the years, Victoria’s students have become part of that tradition, with the older students becoming fantastic role models as they perform alongside the younger dancers in The Nutcracker This production has helped nurture a new generation of dancers, some of whom have gone on to professional careers. Scores of our Nutcracker alumni are now dancing professionally and will be stepping on stage in Nutcrackers across the country.

For Tickets and More Information

Performances are Saturdays, December 7 & 14, 2024 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm and Sundays, December 8 & 15 at 2:00 pm. The Orpheum Performing Arts Center is located at 6050 Main Street, Tannersville, NY 12485. Tickets purchased ahead are $25 adults; $20 seniors; $7 students. Ticketing fees and higher at-the-door ticket prices apply. To purchase tickets, visit catskillmtn.org, call 518 263 2063, or email boxoffice@catskillmtn.org.